Sarah’s focus in counselling is connection: Connection with oneself and ones values, connection with significant others in our lives and connection with the wider community.
Sarah’s counselling is a strengths-based approach informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT pronounced act, as in to act in a play) and Positive Psychology. Through acceptance and mindfulness strategies, ACT helps people to create flexibility in their lives; moving towards things that matter to them, to embrace all the emotions that come with a rich and meaning life. Emotions are part of being human and emotions mean we care. Struggling with emotions can be truly difficult as we often snowball from feeling one emotion to feeling another, then another. For example, I feel anxious, then I feel frustrated because I feel anxious again, then I disappointed because I can’t control my anxious feelings, then angry and perhaps guilty…and so our emotions continue. What make matters worse, is that we often look around at others and they seem perfectly fine (and popular!), handling everything seamlessly with great style and poise, so then the ‘Why me?’ can creep in. Through ACT, Sarah can help people who are experiencing difficult situations and emotions to find pause and reconnect to what matters for them. Sarah has help people during change – life’s transitions and unexpected change, anxiety, tricky relationships, grief, stress, performance anxiety, addiction, Internet and gaming overuse and depressed mood. Then the ‘Why me?’ discourse changes to ‘Well this sucks, but what steps can I take to deal with this situation?’
Positive Psychology is “the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play” (Penn University, 2018).
Follow these links for more information on ACT, Positive Psychology and Positive Education